The Loop has announced John Mellencamp’s return to Chicago, set for October 25th at the Chicago Theater on State Street.  Termed the “Plain Spoken” Tour, Carlene Carter is the opener and tickets go on sale Friday, May 6th at www.aeg.com.  Stay with The Loop for ways to win your tickets as well.  And look for Mellencamp to appear on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” at 10:35 Wednesday night on Channel 7.

Mellencamp’s  career  in music, spanning  more  than  35  years, has seen him transition  from pop star  to  one  of  the  most  highly regarded songwriters of a generation.  The Voice of The Heartland continued to evolve artistically with Plain Spoken, John’s 22nd full length album.

Mellencamp is incredibly acclaimed. He is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, a Grammy winner, a recipient of the John Steinbeck Award, ASCAP Foundation’s Champion Award, The Woody Guthrie Award, and Americana Music Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award. Also, will  John receives the prestigious ASCAP Founders Award – another milestone in his brilliant career.

He is also one of the most successful live concert performers in the world. The social activism reflected in his songs helped catalyze Farm Aid, the concert series and organization that has addressed the struggle of American family farmers for more than 25 years.  The unique instrumentation of his band and his poignant songs about everyday life in the American heartland, are widely credited with being the forbearer of the Americana/No Depression genre of rural-inflected music.   The Ghost Brothers of Darkland County is a musical with music and lyrics by John Mellencamp, a libretto by author Stephen King and production by T Bone Burnett.  The musical completed 2 successful tours in North America and is currently in workshop in London.